Ambassador Yehiel Leiter, opening the fifth round of U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington, delivered an unusually sharp rebuke of the Trump administration, warning the process risks derailing as Hezbollah feels emboldened and the U.S. framework fails to prevent Iranian funds from reaching the group.
The fifth round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations in Washington opened Tuesday evening with an extraordinary public confrontation as Ambassador Yehiel Leiter directly challenged the Trump administration's handling of the Iran track.
Speaking alongside the Lebanese ambassador at the State Department, Leiter said the process — which four rounds ago was 'a train heading toward full peace, with the US as the locomotive' — now risks derailing because 'the fundamental assumption' that Iran would be removed from Lebanon has weakened. He accused the administration of replacing a clear goal with an ill-fitting concept of 'deconfliction,' arguing that Israel is not in conflict with Lebanon and that the only issue is Hezbollah. 'Hezbollah must be defeated and removed from the equation,' he said.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday (18:18 Jerusalem), Leiter opened the round by warning the talks were at risk. The fresh statement amplifies that critique: in explicitly diplomatic terms, Leiter asked whether disarming Hezbollah remains the basis for negotiations, whether the ceasefire requiring Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani is still binding, and how the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding will prevent Iranian funds from reaching the terror group. He noted that Hezbollah 'feels emboldened' and that Israel reserves the right to act against immediate and developing threats on its civilians and soldiers.
The remarks mark one of the most pointed Israeli public criticisms of an American administration in recent years. The MOU between Washington and Tehran, negotiated by the Trump administration, is expected to unlock significant Iranian assets; Leiter's three questions amount to a demand for clarity on how those funds will be blocked from reaching Hezbollah.
5 developments
- DevelopingIsraeli ambassador to US responds to Iranian threats, ceasefire allegations
- StrongIsrael's US envoy: No withdrawal from southern Lebanon under Iran deal
- DevelopingPakistan warns Israel's Lebanon offensive threatens US-Iran talks
- ConfirmedIsrael's UN envoy blasts Trump: Terror states cannot be compared to other nations
Source and signal
- Internal intake